son

stark contrast to the screaming matches, the hurled accusations, the furious tears that

anaged, his voice strained.

ng the air. "What' s going on, Gabriel, is that you' ve finally decided to come home. And Kaia

blonde head tilted. "Mrs. Kaufman, I can jus

ly concealing the triumph in her eyes.

ht you. He always takes care of his people, doesn' t he, darling?" My eyes flickered to Gabriel

. Kaia, picking at her food, occasionally glancing at me with a mixture

"Gabriel tells me you' re an incredibly talented junio

Oh, um, thank you, Mrs. Ka

hroat. "Allison, can

' t hear? Surely, as a valued member of your team, and apparently, your person

t he bit back his re

enderness. "About... about everything. I know thing

s gaze. "The years of neglect? The public humili

stammered. "She' s just... she ne

y. "Gabriel, maybe we

on just needs to understand." He turned back to me, his gaze pleading. "Allison,

t. "And what about our future, Gab

aia is... she' s an important part of our

" My gaze dropped to Kaia' s wrist. She was wearing the delicate pearl bracelet Gabriel

ly tucked her hand under the ta

growled. "It' s just a bracelet. Ka

symbol of our decade togethe

I pushed my chair back and stood up. "There' s a matching necklace. A sentimental piece. Our fir

"No! No, Mrs. Kaufman, I

g to take control. "Allison, if you' re offering,

pendant glinting under the light. Our first Christmas, when we were struggling, building our first sm

of something unreadable there. Was it regret? Shame? I watched him take it from

urprisingly soft. He handed it to Kaia, who took

iel said, his confusion palp

s doing. My past self would have been clawing at him, demanding explanations, tearing down his mistress. But what g

l' s initial apologies, his promises. "It was a mistake, Allison. A m

ut he wasn' t. He was a ghost, haunting our home, his heart somewhere else. The colder he grew, the harder I fought. I begged, I rea

facade. But Kaia was a master manipulator. A few well-timed tears, a story of an overbearing

n his chest, her eyes adoring. I' d made a scene. A public, humiliating scene. And Gabriel, in a fit of rage, had come home and system

torted with fury. "This is what happens when you embarrass me!

he floor amidst the wreckage, shattered more than the pottery. That

rely slept. The world became dull, muted. Then, a miracl

ng to that hope, terrified but fiercely protective. I imagined a life wh

the White Knight, insisted she stay. I watched them, a silent fury simmering beneath my calm. I brought her

face pale with fear. "What did you do,

nuinely bewildered. "It

g my arm. On the counter was an open packet of peanuts, a snack I

aking with a rage I' d never seen before, even when h

... baby? Gabriel, I

I could react, he shoved them into my mouth, forcing them down m

omen. I collapsed, gasping for air, the world spinning. My last consc

doctor' s face was grim. "I' m so sorry,

flat and lifeless. My baby. Our baby.

"Allison, I' m so sorry. I didn' t mean for this to happen. I thought... I

dless. My body was a battlefield, ravaged and empty. He returned hours later, smelling of Kaia' s perfume, hold

n," he whispered, patting my ha

He helped me into the tub, the warm water a brief comfort against the searing pain in my heart and body. He left